u/worldwide3o5

Hi all, I’m a US based sales leader (29 years old), spent my whole career at Gartner (6 years) where I worked my way up the ladder in SMB (AM ➡️ AE ➡️ Sr AE ➡️ 1st Line Leader ➡️ Sr 1st Line Leader), finishing 2025 in the global top performing <1% of the company (earned around $245k doing so which is well above OTE at the time)

I’ve been having serious doubts about my future here as I don’t trust the business model as I used to with AI disruption despite the big brand we have, and in general am nowhere near as motivated as I used to be. I have been looking at 1st line SaaS/Tecb leadership opportunities outside with higher upside. I’ve received multiple offers, and after doing my due diligence, Navan seems to be the most attractive opportunity. However, I’m top candidate for a 2nd line leader promotion (Area VP) starting Jan 1st and been offered the role.

Below are both options I have:

1. Gartner SMB Area VP, leading a region of 3 leaders + 20 reps, $270k OTE

2. Navan Commercial Segment Regional Director, leading a team of 7 reps, $325k OTE

I want to maximize my upside and widen my skillset which Navan would help with, however I’d be walking away from a lot at Gartner. I want to make the move that will also strengthen my CV after 2-3 years of doing one of the 2 above roles.

Keen to hear everyone’s thoughts and what everyone thinks the stronger move is!

30, ~6 years at Gartner, VP track lined up, now juggling multiple SD offers and second-guessing myself

First post here, been lurking for a while. Could use some outside perspective because I’m too deep in this to think straight anymore.

Quick background: almost 6 years at Gartner, started as an AE, worked my way up to 1st line sales leader managing a team of 6 reps, very successful over the last 2.5 years in role. I’m 30 now, and Gartner’s basically told me a VP role is mine if I stay. Safe path, decent money, but I’ve felt for a while like the ceiling there is lower than what’s out there in SaaS/tech.

So I ran a pretty intense job search the last few months and landed final offers at a few places:

• Navan (T&E/spend management, IPO’d last year, growing fast). Regional Sales Director, UKI Commercial. Solid OTE plus real RSUs over 4 years.

• Darktrace (cybersecurity, PE owned now after Thoma Bravo took it private). Similar level, but no shares as they’re now delisted and I’ve heard from people inside that hitting quota there is genuinely brutal right now.

• Monday.com. Different segment, better base and OTE on paper, shares still TBD but probably similar to Navan. More mature company though, growth slowing down.

I don’t want to go back to being an IC, I’m committed to staying in management at this point. Did poke around a couple of AI native companies too but quickly learned two things: those roles would’ve been a scope demotion, and the hot AI companies almost never hire SDs from outside their world, they want people who’ve already been in that specific ecosystem for years.

Curious if anyone’s jumped from a place like Gartner into hyper growth SaaS leadership, was the culture shock as bad as people say, and did the comp and equity upside actually end up being worth it? Will a company like Navan look strong on the CV as an SD?

EDIT: sharing comp details, which is one of the reasons I’m strongly considering this move. All commissions below uncapped

Gartner VP: 265k OTE (60/40 split)
Darktrace: 320k OTE (50/50)
Navan: 320k OTE (50/50) + 220k RSUs (4y vest 1y cliff)
Monday: 305k OTE (60/40 split) + 120k RSUs (4y vest 1y vest)

Just got offered a 1st line management role at Darktrace - keen to hear people’s thoughts if you have any experience working there and your general take on the business!